Wind compensator for aircraft guns



H--B. INGLIS.

WIND COMPENSATOR FOR AIRCRAFT GUNS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, I922.

v 1,41:32,'757.' Patented Oct. 24,1922;

1, means for aircraft gun turrets, the

. windj which tends to turn an aircraft gun on a revoluble turret, when theair- 8 is in flight.

further, Qb'ect of the invention is to the esiredresult by means of a mechanical linkage' between the revoluble turretand the base on which it is revolubly shunned. The wind pressure againstthe varies for different angular posit ons "of the gun with respect to the line of flight o! the aircraft. By meansof this invention antjequal but opposing turning movement the gun turret is automatically obtainas causing an equilibration of forces on the gun and compensatin for windage in .position of the gun. he gunner is thus by the ver considerable force of B the wind against t e gun in shifting the .tlirret or in holding the gun laterally of the fuselage when the turret is not locked in .fin. Tlie invention consists in the novel conl stiiuction, combination and arrangement heeein fully described, illustrated and ,Ifiillthe accompanying drawings:

QI Fi re 1 is a broken plan view of a rel volving turret flexible gun mount, showing ,Iithefiindeompensating means applied there- Fi gure 2 is a fragmentary vertlcal sectional viewof the same. I 5, TheF-flexible gun mount comprises a fixed fannular base 1 upon which is mounted a fi'erirluble turret 2. Connected to the turret bytrunnions 3 is a scarf ring 4 on which the, i 5 is mounted by means of a pivot 6 whigi e nables the gun to be swung laterally.

Elevation of the gun is obtained by means efthetrunnions3, which permit the ring 4 fii'bef raised and lowered. v

fwhen the aircraft is flying in the direction F'aindic ated by the arrow a there is a strong against the gun in the direcmay a. titans, or mama; onto. I

'-%$lifor Guns, of which the fol-f s i nvention re ates to'wi'n'd compem" 'ffview as; dutomatically coun- 1 compensate for the pressure of the v I 1,432,751 PATENT OFFICE. V

wmneoursnshroa roe Amcam eons. a nuities u e Apr- 118.1922 Serial No. 555,190. 1

tion'indic'ated by the arrows b said. pressure varying as the an is of the gun in relation to the path of flig t a and wind pressure I) var1es.- 5 I To counterbalance or compensate for such wind pressure against the gun tending to turn the turret, I have devised the following automatically acting mechanism. The; base 1 is'provided with an'internal rack or toothedface 7 for cooperationwith a train of gears. One of the gear wheels 8 mesh with the rack face 7 and also carries a pinion 9 which meshes with a gear wheel 10. ,Gear wheel 10 carries a projecting pin 11 which works in an 'arcuatecam slot 12 in a cam 13. The cam 13 is in the form of a cross head on one end of a plunger or piston rod 14. At the other end of plunger 14 there is a head 15 which is movable back and forth in a cylinder or housing 16 containing an expansion element 17 such as a spring.

The cylinder 16 is fastened to the ring like body part of the turret 2 and the ar wheels above described are also mounte in bearings carried by the turret, the gear face 7 being immovable.

In the .operation of the mechanism, wind .pressure against the gun 5 tends to turn or partially revolve the turret. As the turret starts to, turn, gear wheel 8 is caused to turn and impart movement to the train of gears. This causes pin 11 to be shifted along the cam slot 12. This causes movement of the plunger 14 resulting in more or less compression of spring 17. The cam 13 is so designed in relation to the sweep of the pin 11 and the strength of the spring 17 that the turning moment offered by the latter will vary proportionately to the turningmome'nt against the is changed.

What I, claim is:

1. In a flexible gun mount for aircraft, a fixed base having an annular rack face, a revoluble gun-supporting turret mounted on said base, and wind pressure compensating 'means embodying an expansion element cargun as the angle of the turret vfityk 9 Sk F5 We ap atmg wfieii the tui-ret tinxl un erva'i'yingaii" 'ieEureS on the gun to pro rtionately m force of sai expansion l p nt,,U 2 p ift fifixibl guti' mount for aircraft, a fligdi b an annular rack face, a revo' ub e gun-suppdrting turret mounted on said base,bgriid .w ind ma man m iww a w wm whg-m f r w m mshwf w ra k; wdw mm rtpact wme-b wd ex 'b ehi a lw wtwnmtla-wi .ab hwws w vam np 1n the resistiug oxpe :of e10 wzwatw w o he mama-MW 0 v augcl the. gun.

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